Carphephorus odoratissimus

Carphephorus odoratissimus

The Vanilla Leaf (Carphephorus odoratissimus (J.F.Gmel.) H.J.-C. Hebert) is a herbaceous species belonging to the Asteraceae family.

Systematics –
From a systematic point of view it belongs to:
Eukaryota Domain,
Kingdom Plantae,
Magnoliophyta Division,
Magnoliopsida class,
Subclass Asteridae,
Asterales Order,
Asteraceae family,
Genus Carphephorus,
C. odoratissimus species.
Basionimo is the term:
– Chrysocoma odoratissima (Walter) J.F.Gmel ..
The terms are synonymous:
– Anonymos odoratissimus Walter;
– Carphephorus odoratissimus (J.F.Gmel.) Herbert;
– Carphephorus odoratissimus var. subtropicanus (J.F.Gmel.) Herbert;
– Chrysocoma odoratissima (Walter) J.F.Gmel.;
– Chrysocoma odoratissima Raeusch.;
– Eupatorium glastifolium Bertol.;
– Liatris amplexicaulis Raf.;
– Liatris odoratissima (J.F.Gmel.) Michx.;
– Liatris odoratissima (J.F.Gmel.) Willd.;
– Serratula odoratissima (J.F.Gmel.) Dum.Cours.;
– Trilisa odoratissima (J.F.Gmel.) Cass..
Two varieties are recognized within this species:
– Carphephorus odoratissimus var. odoratissimus – Present in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida;
– Carphephorus odoratissimus var. subtropicanus Wunderlin & B.F.Hansen – Present in central and southern Florida.

Etymology –
The term Carphephorus comes from the Greek karphos, pula (straw) and phoros, bearing, alluding to recipe paleae.
The specific epithet odoratissimus refers to the superlative of perfumed, fragrant odoratus: which exhales an intense perfume.

Geographic Distribution and Habitat –
Carphephorus odoratissimus is a plant of North American origin and in particular of the southeastern United States, including the states of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida.
Its habitat is that of humid forests, savannahs, flat woods, swamps and submerged areas.

Description –
Carphephorus odoratissimus is a herbaceous perennial that grows up to 180 in height and is largely glabrous, with thick, cord-shaped roots.
The stems are 90-150 cm tall and unbranched under the inflorescence. The stems are hairless and purplish-brown in color.
The leaves are cauline and basal. The basal leaves are oblanceolate to obovate in profile, whole, glabrous and generally glaucous.
The leaves of the stem are sessile and of reduced size towards the top.
All parts of the plant have a vanilla smell when crushed.
The flowers are produced on the head and arranged in corymbs. Each head is subtended by 5-12 rows of purple and dotted with glands. Each head has 7-10 purple disc flowers which are glandular.
It blooms between late summer and autumn.
The fruit is a glandular achene with light brown to brown pappus.

Cultivation –
Carphephorus odoratissimus is a perennial that occurs naturally in mesic or hydro pine plains, wet slopes and swamps and blooms from late summer to fall.
The two varieties are found on different arals which in some areas overlap and attract butterflies and other pollinators.
This plant prefers moist to moderately dry soil.
He wants full sun to partial shade exposure.
Although it prefers moist soils, it does not tolerate flooding. Additionally, it can tolerate drought once stabilized, but requires sufficient humidity during the hot summer months.
Propagation occurs by seed.

Customs and Traditions –
Carphephorus odoratissimus emanates from its leaves a smell similar to vanilla, due to the high content (1.6%) of coumarin as its main aromatic constituent. As a result, this strain has a history of use in cosmetics, herbal medicine, and as an additive to smoking tobacco.
The leaves of this plant were once harvested and used to flavor pipe tobacco.
The plant contains coumarins which, when ingested in high doses, can prevent blood from clotting and cause liver disease. The leaves have been used in herbal medicine as an emollient, diaphoretic, diuretic and tonic. They are a folk remedy for cough, malaria and neurosis.

Preparation Method –
Carphephorus odoratissimus is a plant that, above all in the past, was used as a flavoring for tobacco but also in herbal medicine and folk medicine remedies.

Guido Bissanti

Sources
– Acta Plantarum – Flora of the Italian Regions.
– Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
– GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
– Useful Tropical Plants Database.
– Conti F., Abbate G., Alessandrini A., Blasi C. (ed.), 2005. An annotated checklist of the Italian vascular flora, Palombi Editore.
– Pignatti S., 1982. Flora of Italy, Edagricole, Bologna.
– Treben M., 2000. Health from the Lord’s Pharmacy, Advice and experiences with medicinal herbs, Ennsthaler Editore.
Photo source:
– https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/63056802/original.jpeg

Warning: Pharmaceutical applications and alimurgical uses are indicated for informational purposes only, they do not represent in any way a medical prescription; therefore no responsibility is taken for their use for curative, aesthetic or food purposes.